Ring-valve.



H. G. FRINK.

RING VALVE.

APPLICATION. men MAY 29. 1916.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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H. G. FRlNK.

RING VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. S916.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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ms VALVE.

APPLICATlOh FILED MAX 29,1916.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

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HARRY G. FRIN'K, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

RING-VALVE.

Application filed May 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY G. FRINK, citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ring-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in rotary valves, for use particularly in con nection with internal combustion engines, and has for its objects to providea valve which will be silent, economical in fuel con sumption, and also such a construction that the movements of the valve will operate to improve instead of injuring its seating, so that the expense and inconvenience of repairs or grinding may be avoided.

Other objects relate to a novel arrangement for the fuel intake ports and exhaust ports, means for rotating the valve, and other features by means of which economy in manufacture may be attained.

lVith the foregoing objects in view and others to be mentioned, the invention presents a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it being understood that changes in form, size, proportion, and minor details may be changed and that such changes will be within the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section illustrating the invention, the view be-' ing taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 3, parts of the timing gears and a crank case being added. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a part of an engine cylinder. Fig. 3, is a plan view of an engine cylinder, the cylinder head being removed. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the cylinder and valve, as on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of the valve in side elevation. Fig. 6 is a view of the valve in longitudinal section. Fig. 7 is a side view of a ring gear., Fig. 8 is a view of the ring gear in longitudinal section. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the box rings when assembled. Figs. 10 and 11 are views in side elevation showing segments employed to provide the complete box ring shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a view of the valve in transverse section, taken on line 12 12 of Fig. 5. Fig. 13 is a view showing a part of the interior wall of the cylinder, illustrating its single exhaust and intake port. Fig. 1 1 is a View showing a part of the exterior wall Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Serial No. 100,521.

of the cylinder, illustrating its exhaust and intake port-s. Fig. 15 is a transverse section through two walls of the cylinder, showing the ports illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, certain conventional parts of an internal combustion engine are shown, such as the crank case 16, the crank shaft 17 in suitable bearings, a connecting rod 18,the piston 19 and cylinder head 26, these parts being of any suitable size and in general use; and as shown in F ig. 1, the piston is completing an exhaust stroke.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a four cycle engine, the time gearsbeing arranged to cause one rotation of the valve to two rotations of the crank shaft; however, it will be obvious that the valve would be equally operative in connection with a two cycle engine, provided the move ment of the valve was timed accordingly.

Mounted upon the crank case is a cylinder 20 provided with suitable water jackets, and formed to open upon its upper end with an annular, downwardly convergent recess 21, in which is seated the downwardly convergent, annular valve 22. The inner wall a; of the cylinder is provided with a single port 23, its outer wall a being provided with two adjacent ports, these being disposed one above the other, the lower one being an exhaust port 24, and the upper one being an. intake port 25, said ports 24 and 25 being disposed substantially in line with the port 23 and in communication therewith at certain times, depending upon the revoluble movement of the valve 22, as will be seen.

At 27 is indicated a second annular recess formed between the outer and inner walls of the cylinder, this recess having a substantially uniform width and being disposed below and opening upon the downwardly convergent recess 21. Disposed in said recess 27 is a ring gear 28, and by means of suitable keepers or screws 29 it is secured to the valve 22, and, preferably, the lower end of the ring gear is disposed upon suitable balls or rollers 30, at or near the bottom of the recess 27 for preventing friction.

In order that a single rotation of the ring gear and valve may be caused while the crank shaft rotates twice, certain shafts in suitable bearings and coacting gears are provided, as the gear wheel 31 upon the crank shaft and which rotates therewith for driving the pinion 82 which is keyed upon the idler shaft 83, said shaft 83 having a gear wheel 84 keyed thereon in engagement with a pinion 85 which is keyed on a horizontal shaft 36. The shaft 36 is provided with a worm 37 in engagement with the peripheral teeth of the ring gear 28, the outer wall a" of the cylinder being provided with an aperture 38, best shown in Fig. 4, to permit the engagement of said worm, as mentioned.

Shims 39 may be provided for vertically adjusting the ring gear and to provide for any decrease in the length of the valve 22, should it become worn. The worm gear, preferably, is disposed in a bath of oil and grease which may be deposited in a recess or compartment 40, by removal of a lid 41, and preferably, the valve is oiled by use of a conduit 42 (Fig. 1), the oil being supplied from any suitable source.

At 43 is indicated a lining or jacket constructed of metal having a degree of hardness suflicient to resist wear to advantage while in contact with the inner wall of the cylinder and while disposed upon the inner side of the valve. By referring to Fig. 6 it will be seen that the inner side of the valve is provided with circular grooves 44 and also with circular grooves 45 which open upon grooves 44. The lining or jacket 43 consists of any number of apertured segments, as the semicircular segment a and the lesser segments I), each being provided with an elongated aperture 0, as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11.

Suitable split rings 46 (Fig. 1) are placed in the grooves and the apertured segments a and Z) are placed in the grooves 44. Since the parts a and b are formed as segments, they may be conveniently mounted in the valve and will not obstruct the ports 49 and 50, on account of the provision of the apertures c. If they become worn they may be conveniently replaced by others. In operation they are pressed inwardly by the rings 46, and prevent leakage of fuel gas or exhaust gases.

Numerals 47 (Fig. 5) indicate annular grooves formed in the outer wall of the valve, in which are deposited annular split rings 48 (Fig. 1) similar to the conven tional rings used upon pistons.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the valve 22 has two, adjacent, radially formed ports, these being disposed at difierent distances from the ends of the valve and suitably spaced apart, and indicated at 49 and 50. The port 49 is inclined outwardly and upwardly so that it may communicate coincidently with the inner and outer ports 23 and 25 of the cylinder tooperate as an intake port, the port 50 operating as an exhaust port sinceit is inclined outwardly and downwardly and may communicate coincidently with the inner port 28 and the outer port 24 of the cylinder.

Having explained the several parts, operation will be readily understood, ignition of compressed gas being accomplished by the usual spark plug 51. Rotation of the engine shaft causes rotation uniformly, in one direction, of the valve, the ports 49 and 50 registering separately with port 23. A

downward stroke of the piston, on account of suction, will cause fuel gas to enter the upper end of the cylinder from the carbureter 52 through the intake manifold 53,

munication while the port 49 of the valve is passing them. The timing of the gears which controls the rotation of the valve is such that, simultaneously with the completion of the downward stroke of the piston, the port 49 of the valve will have passed the ports 23 and 25, and the wall of the valve will be interposed to effect a closure of all of the ports, and this closure of the ports will continue during the upward movement of the piston or its compression stroke, and succeeding downward or firing stroke. At or before the completion of the explosion stroke of the piston, the revoluble movement of the valve will cause its exhaust port 50 to register with ports 23 and 24, which permits the exhaust gases to escape, and to pass out of the exhaust opening 54, during the exhaust stroke of the piston.

On account of the convergence mentioned for the walls of the valve and corresponding conformation of the adjacent walls of the cylinder, any wearing away of the walls of the valve will not operate to impair its usefulness, but, on the contrary, will improve its seating. Also, on account of the direction of rotation of the worm, the ring gear will be pressed downwardly to a lim ited extent and will therefore impart a correspondingly downward pressure of the valve, tending to cause the valve to engage its seat uniformly.

Numeral 55 indicates a washer or shim which is secured to the top of the valve by screws 56, and having a thickness sufficient to substantially fill the space between the upper end of the valve and the cylinder head.

Having fully explained construction, a further explanation relating to operation is not necessary. i

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In devices for the purpose described, an engine cylinder having an annular recess formed inwardly convergent from one of its ends and provided with a port opening on its inner side and said recess, and provided with an intake port and an exhaust port each opening on its outer side and said reports 25 and 23, these ports being in com- 7 cess, an annular, longitudinally convergent valve in said recess, said valve being provided with a port disposed inclinedly to open on its outer side near its end of greater divergence and having a second port disposed in spaced relation transversely of the valve with reference to its first named port, the second port of the valve being disposed inclinedly to open on its outer side near its end of lesser divergence, said valve being rotatable to cause its first named port to register coincidently with the first named port and the intake port of the cylinder, and to cause, thereafter, coincident registration of the second port of the valve and the exhaust port of the cylinder.

2. In devices for the purpose described, an engine cylinder provided between its sides and opening on one of its ends with an annular recess and provided with a port opening on its inner side and said recess and provided with an intake port and an exhaust port each opening on its outer side and said recess, an annular, elongated valve in said recess, said valve being. provided with a port disposed inclinedly to open on its outer side near one of its ends and having a second port disposed in spaced relation transversely of the valve with reference to its first named port, the second port of the valve being disposed inclinedly to open on its outer side near its opposite end, said valve being rotatable to cause its first named port to register coincidently with the first named port and the intake port of the cylinder, and to cause, thereafter, the second port of the valve to register coincidently with the first named port and the exhaust port of the cylinder.

8. In devices for the purpose described, the combination with an upright engine cylinder having an inwardly convergent, annular recess opening on its upper end, said cylinder being provided on its inner side with a port opening on said recess and having an upper port and a lower port each opening on its outer side and upon said recess, of an annular, rotatable valve conforming substantially to the shape of said recess and disposed therein, said valve being provided with a port inclined outwardly and upwardly for coincident registration with the first named port and the upper port of the cylinder, said valve being provided with a second port disposed adjacent to and transversely of its first named port, said second port being inclined outwardly and downwardly for coincident registration with the first named port and the lower port of said cylinder.

4:. In devices for the purpose described, the combination with an upright engine cylinder having an annular recess opening on one of its ends, said cylinder being provided on its inner side with a port opening on said recess and having an upper port and a lower port each opening on its outer side and upon said recess, of an annular, rotatable valve disposed in said recess, said valve being provided with a port inclined outwardly and upwardly for coincident registration with the first named port and the upper port of the cylinder and being provided with a second port disposed adjacent to and transversely of its first named port, said second port being inclined outwardly and downwardly for coincident registration with the first named port and the lower port of said cylinder.

5. The combination with an upright engine cylinder provided with an apertured outer wall having an upper port and a lower port, and having ,an inner wall provided with a single port, a ring gear between said walls, an annular valve secured to the ring gear and disposed between said walls, said valve being provided with a longitudinally inclined port opening on its outer side near one of its ends and provided, adjacent to said first named port with a second longitudinally inclined port opening on its outer side near its opposite end, a revoluble member in the aperture of the outer wall of the cylinder in engagement with the ring gear to rotate the valve for causing coincident registration of its first named port with the port of the inner wall and the lower port of the outer wall of the cylinder during a part of its movement, and for causing coincident registration of its second port with the port of the inner wall and the upper port of the outer wall of the cylinder during another part of its movement.

6. In combination with an upright engine cylinder provided with an inner wall having a single port and an outer wall provided with ports disposed in different horizontal planes with reference to the port of said inner wall, an annular valve disposed between said outer and inner walls and formed with a port inclined downwardly and outwardly from its inner side and formed with a second port inclined upwardly and out wardly from its inner side, said valve being rotatable to cause its first named port to register coincidently with the single port of the inner wall and one of the ports of the outer wall, and to cause its second port to register coincidently with the single port of the inner wall and another port of the outer wall of said cylinder.

7. A valve for internal combustion engines, comprising, in combination with a cylinder having an outer wall provided with a port and a second port and having its inner wall provided with a port, an annular valve provided with peripheral grooves and having its inner side provided with circular grooves and with secondary circular grooves opening on said first named circular grooves, annular rings disposed in the peripheral grooves of the valve, a jacket consisting of apertured segments engaging in the secondary circular grooves of the valve, said valve being disposed between the Walls of the cylinder and having a port and a second port, and being revolulole to cause coincident registration of its first named port with the port of the inner Wall and one of the ports of the outer Wall of the cylinder, during a part of its movement, and to cause coincident registration of its second port With the other port of said outer Wall and the port of the inner Wall of the cylinder during another part of its movement.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixecl my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

HARRY G. FRINK.

WVitnesses HIRAM A. S'rURGns, ARTHUR H. STURGES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

